Rather little known, external monitors are increasingly on the rise. It must be said that the characteristics of their panels have improved and that the USB Type-C connection with DisplayPort has opened up possibilities that were not allowed before.
Rather than plugging in a big, bulky, bulky monitor, which often has its own power supply, why not opt for a portable display? Indeed, this kind of product is gaining popularity since it is a versatile device capable of adapting to both your professional and personal life.
Portable monitors are screens that can quickly and easily plug into your laptop or PC using a USB cable, to expand your work environment without the need for a bulky conventional PC monitor. They can also be very easily stored. Convenient if you telecommute and don’t have a dedicated office space.
Some monitors with HDMI connectors (or micro HDMI/mini HDMI) can also be used as a screen for game consoles, whether it’s a Nintendo Switch with its dock or a PS5. Be careful though, very few of these screens have speakers and none have a dedicated sound output.
Asus ZenScreen Go: the must-have
The most interesting model, in our opinion, is the ZenScreen Go. This model, already mentioned on Frandroid, has a 15.6-inch diagonal IPS LCD panel. It is a portable monitor in Full HD definition, powered only by USB Type-C. With its thickness of 8 mm and its weight of 900 grams, the idea is to carry it around with you to plug it into your Android smartphone or laptop.
Good news: the screen includes its own 7800 mAh battery. Finally, it comes with a screen protector that folds up to serve as a stand in portrait or landscape mode. It also has a function to detect if the screen is in portrait and landscape mode, the Asus application (DisplayLink) is very practical for configuring the operation of the device.
The battery provides about 4 hours of autonomy, your connected device will then take over for the power supply. Unfortunately, the ZenScreen Go (MB16AP) only has one USB Type-C socket, so you have to find a dongle or a device capable of powering the screen at the same time as transferring video data (USB-C PD — Power Delivery). Note that the ZenScreen Go models (MB16AP and MB16AHP) are not touch sensitive.
Asus ZenScreen Touch: the tactile version
If you are looking for the same performance, but with a touch interface, Asus offers its ZenScreen in a Touch version. Like the Go version, the 15.6-inch screen also incorporates refresh from 60 Hz. The Full HD screen in 16: 9 format is therefore ideal for multimedia use.
Offering both USB-C and micro-HDMI, it is very easy to use whether with a Nintendo Switch or by requesting Dex mode on high-end Samsung smartphones. The 7800 mAh battery provides autonomy for at least 4 hours. It also has Qualcomm fast charging technology.
The folding pouch delivered by Asus offers improved ergonomics to place it anywhere. Compared to the Go version, the Touch screen is a little more expensive, but offers a little more versatility in use.
Asus ROG XG17AHP: the best for gaming
With its dominance in the sector, Asus offers great improvements on its portable screens. By affixing the name Republic of Gamer, the manufacturer offers a completely gaming function to this monitor.
The LED interface has a diagonal of 17 inches with Full HD definition. The real highlight is the refresh rate set up. This one is able to climb up to 240 Hz for optimal fluidity. It is FreeSync compatible, but not G-Sync for the gaming part.
In terms of construction, the portable monitor packs two USB Type-C ports, and a micro HDMI. It comes with a tripod to place it anywhere. A 7800 mAh battery is also installed offering a total autonomy of approximately 3 and a half hours.
MSI Optix MAG161V: the gaming option
On paper, it’s a good portable screen: an IPS LCD screen that displays a Full HD definition of 1920 x 1080 pixels and benefits from a contrast ratio of 800:1, as well as a refresh rate of 60 Hz. MSI classified it as a gaming monitor: it does not have a battery to self-power, but it has two speakers (2 x 1 W).
It can work and be powered by a single USB-C cable, but that requires power supply over 10W and DisplayPort mode. Alternatively, you can power the monitor via USB-C, and plug it into USB-C or micro HDMI. Besides, the micro HDMI can be very practical to connect a device that does not have a USB-C cable, such as a game console for example. It’s still a shame that the two USB-Cs are on the same side.
Cocopar Monitor: the alternative to Asus
There are only a few alternatives to Asus in this segment of the market. If HP had tried its luck, another brand with attractive prices is attracting the favor of the public: Cocopar. In this case, the company offers a portable screen of 15.6 inches with a definition in Full HD.
The connection is generous. You are thus entitled to a 3.5 mm jack port, a mini HDMI port, two UBS-C ports. You can connect a console, a PC or another machine to it. However, we ignore the classic HDMI port. The icing on the cake, it is FreeSync compatible for better display with AMD GPUs. The kickstand is well thought out, with a possible adjustment of 45 to 90°.
However, you do not have an internal battery for autonomy. You will only have to rely on the supply of the requested product.
What is a portable monitor?
What are the trustmarks?
As you have seen in our selection, the Asus brand is one of the rare manufacturers to offer a real range of portable screens. If other brands exist in this sector, they are much less present. Other Chinese companies like Uperfect, Wimaxit or Eviciv also have quality products. Carefully check the reviews on e-commerce sites to make a purchase with confidence or simply choose one of the products from our selection.
What should you pay attention to when choosing your portable monitor?
As you will see, the characteristics to pay attention to with external monitors are the same as conventional monitors:
- screen technology (IPS LCD, TN): avoid TN technology, prefer IPS LCD which offers more contrast, better viewing angles and a wider color palette;
- screen definition (HD or Full HD) depending on your needs;
- connectors (USB Type-C, HDMI, micro-HDMI, mini HDMI, USB 3.0): Some models are USB Type-C only, while others have USB-C as well as a micro HDMI port. Avoid monitors with only very limited USB 3.0 connectivity;
- The refresh rate (60Hz) and response time ;
- The viewing angles and especially the brightness;
- The accessoriesespecially protections that offer kickstand systems or an origami design to hold your screen in portrait or landscape mode.
Indeed, the brightness is not as high as on a conventional monitor since the power supply is often much less powerful. This also has an impact on the performance of the screen, some portable monitors will be useless for games and videos for example.
Is my laptop compatible?
If your laptop has a USB Type-C connector with DisplayPort, it is compatible with the vast majority of external monitors. On the other hand, if this is not the case, redirect yourself to a monitor with a micro-HDMI port. All the latest MacBooks are compatible, most PCs as well as PC towers which increasingly include USB Type-C connectivity.
Generally, the cables are supplied with the monitors, but be aware that there are USB Type-C extension cables on Amazon, as well as micro-HDMI cables (AmazonBasics at only 7 euros).
Does it work with smartphones?
Yes, but it depends on the model of your smartphone
Generally, high-end Samsung and Huawei smartphones are compatible, as USB Type-C supports DisplayPort. Moreover, Samsung has a Dex interface that will allow you to enjoy an environment close to Windows 10 or macOS, this is also the case with Huawei EMUI Desktop.
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Few smartphones are DisplayPort compatible. So be sure to check your smartphone’s spec sheet before investing in an external monitor (if you want to use it with your smartphone).
Does it work with a Nintendo Switch?
The Switch has a USB Type-C port with DisplayPort, so Nintendo’s game console is theoretically compatible with all screens.
Finally, the reality is different, because Nintendo has not simplified things: this USB Type-C port is finicky, so we encourage you to invest in the Asus ZenScreen Touch with its micro HDMI or any portable monitor with HDMI instead. You will certainly need the dock or an accessory of this type to connect the screen to the console.
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